Hanna,I saw an interesting design with chalk stripe about 1" between the stripes in the collection at the Museum of the City of New York that was very feminine. The hemline of the jacket was scalloped between each stripe. Oh, the suit from the early 30s was attributed to Chanel. Claire

Whether the cloth is a woollen flannel or a worsted flannel, the spacing between the chalk stripes would depend upon the person who is destined to wear the garment. You can't make a decision merely on the basis of a swatch in a book. You need to unroll yardage from a bolt and drape it over the shoulder of the customer for whom it's intended. Equally important is how the chalk stripes are drawn; some do better with fuzzy stripes, while others benefit from their firmly drawn counterpart.

By the same token, size and complexion of the customer really do matter. Too many stripes without enough separation between them to let the ground color of the fabric breathe creates a busy effect on the wearer, even if he or she is slim and short. More generous spacing between the stripes favors small and large people alike. Ungodly wide spacing between the lines, which is seldom seen these days but did exist in the last century, favors few regardless of size.

Complexion and hair color will determine the color of a chalk stripe garment for a customer. Some look better in a dark blue chalk stripe, others look better in a medium grey chalk stripe, still others opt for dark grey flannel with jewel-toned chalk stripes of sapphire blue or garnet red.